The 2008 housing crisis sent shockwaves through the residential construction industry. When the Obama administration stepped into office in 2009, builders faced a landscape defined by foreclosures, frozen credit markets, and the steepest decline in housing starts since the Great Depression. The administration’s housing plan, detailed in a briefing by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan, aimed […]
Understanding Roofing Code Compliance Liability When a roof fails to meet applicable building codes, determining who bears responsibility can be a complex and costly legal question. Every stakeholder involved in a roofing project—from the design professional and general contractor to the roofing subcontractor and material supplier—faces potential exposure when code violations surface. As building codes
After three consecutive months of declining home prices, the housing market is sending a clear signal that the post-pandemic boom has given way to a new phase. According to the latest Standard & Poor’s/Case-Shiller home price index, prices slipped again in November, marking the third straight month of declines. For residential builders, these numbers are
A roofer working on a tornado-damaged house in West Springfield, Massachusetts, fell to his death in a tragedy that should never have happened. The incident, reported by the Western Mass. Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, underscores a persistent problem in residential construction: workers are not using fall protection equipment, often because they underestimate the
Mortgage debt is one of the most significant financial obligations American households carry, and the amounts vary dramatically from state to state. Recent data from Credit Karma, compiled by 24/7 Wall Street, reveals the ten states where residents carry the highest average mortgage debt. Understanding these numbers helps builders, buyers, and industry professionals make better
Financial Oversight and Home Building: How the Mortgage Securities Crackdown Reshaped the Industry When President Obama announced a new unit within the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force targeting improper bundling of home loans into securities, the ripple effects reached far beyond Wall Street. Home builders across the country felt the impact as lending standards tightened,
When foreclosure sales drop in a recovering housing market, it sends a signal that home builders need to understand. In the third quarter of 2011, foreclosed homes made up 20 percent of all residential sales, down from 30 percent in the same period of 2010. That shift was not just a statistic. It reflected meaningful
Oklahoma Foreclosure Market Leads the Nation: Strategic Opportunities for Builders and Investors Foreclosure bargains have emerged as a defining feature of the current housing landscape, and recent data from ATTOM Data Solutions reveals that Oklahoma leads all states in offering the deepest discounts on distressed properties. For home builders and real estate investors seeking entry
The real estate market rarely moves in straight lines. One month brings encouraging gains, the next delivers sobering pullbacks. For builders and developers who track housing metrics closely, the difference between a trend and a blip often comes down to context. The December 2011 Pending Home Sales Index offers a textbook example. Sales dipped 3.5
For residential construction professionals, the International Builders’ Show (IBS) stands as the premier annual gathering of the home building industry. Each year, tens of thousands of builders, remodelers, designers, and suppliers converge for a multi-day program of product exhibits, educational sessions, and networking events. Yet walking the show floor without a plan can leave even
